Why is iMessage combining two contacts into one thread. I can only text back the last one that messaged me. This started with iOS 12

You guys keep ignoring the fact that even under this supposed “feature,” it isn’t working properly. There are literally hundreds of examples posted in this very forum about that fact. Forbes points this out, along with numerous other outlets. It isn’t working correctly, and I imagine that not only will they fix the bug, the outcry of the numerous DRAWBACKS of this change will likely result in the addition of an option in system preferences to opt in our out of “merged threads.”

As seen multiple times in this forum, people have created new Apple IDs for each person but have reported that the messages are still being merged. The problem isn’t just that people are sharing IDs because even people who are not sharing IDs are having their messages merged.

Dan Peck wrote:

So, what do you suggest for families who have to share a synced calendar, reminders and notes? My understanding is that with separate apple ID's we won't be able to sync our home calendar from our home iMac.

Also what do you suggest for syncing my Music library, photos, etc. with my wife? Our apple ID is essentially a joint ID for joint property.

But, I could easily be wrong and if there is a solution to this, then that's great.

However, this problem is not only happening to people on the same apple ID.

True that apple can do whatever they want. But, there was a time that they were better at customer service and getting their customer's needs. I think that time has gone.

Family Sharing lets you share iCloud calendars, reminders, and notes (although some time ago you could share iCloud notes with other IDs even without Family Sharing). Contacts are not shared, but there's alternatives for that (e.g. a separate non-iCloud email that is shared and only used only for contacts, not necessarily email).

Separate IDs does not preclude you from syncing to the same iTunes library, except for (very old) DRM-protected iTunes music purchases. Family Sharing takes it a step further by allowing members to share apps and download past purchases right to the device.

If you're syncing photos through iTunes that won't change with separate IDs. For iCloud, Shared Photo Streams work even outside of Family Sharing, so no change there. If you want photos that you just took with your iPhone to be shared automatically, that's where Family Sharing breaks down -- but there is a common "Family" album that you can manually manage to share specific photos, or simply create a Shared Photo Stream. Not ideal, but it works.

So there are solutions besides sharing IDs. Family Sharing is not perfect I'll give you that, but it is far better than the situation you're in now. I do think that this change was intentional and has to do with unifying all iMessage traffic by the ID, not the phone number or other email contact, so I think it's here to stay. During this transition the intended functionality may have some quirks in implementation, and certainly some major headaches for those who were sharing IDs, but the warning about sharing has been there for as long as I've been using an ID. Apple can't make you read the warning, and they can't prevent you from sharing an ID, but the message is pretty clear that bad things can happen if you do.

I have the same issue since updating to IOS 12. All my wife’s, sons and daughters txt are sent to everyone. We all use the same apple account.

We have a mix of devices from iPhone 6s to 8plus.

Will Apple create a fix for this?

I'm sure Family Sharing has been brought up many, many times in this thread. Here, once more, are some links. This is the easier, better and more trouble-free way:

Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Family Sharing - Apple Support

The system isn't perfect. But this is Apple's best attempt to provide a workable solution to the kind of issues being discussed here, while also maintaining a high level of privacy and security which is a fundamental company goal.

Why do people keep posting that it's a problem in "sharing Apple IDs"? I do not believe that is the issue. There are a number of posters, including me, that are experiencing the problem and have said that they have family members each on their own unique Apple ID. I had our phones set up on individual Apple IDs for months before IOS 12 came out and started causing this problem. I have six lines on the same account, each with a separate Apple ID. All phones have been checked and the "Send & Receive" settings, etc. are all correct. Yet, my phone, my wife's phone, and one of our daughter's phones (but none of the others) are experiencing this problem.

On the phone with support now and being given the “tough luck - Apple IDs are intended to only be used for one individual each” message.

Not cool at all. I’m asking for a link to policy stating such, or that this behavior is currently working as designed.

Forcing us to separate Apple IDs for our children sounds unreasonable.

Just to keep the semantics straight. Apple has ALWAYS supported ID sharing among DEVICES but has NEVER supported ID sharing among HUMANS. One Apple ID can be used on a thousand iPhones provided that the same human uses all those iPhones.

darthbenji wrote:

So if I set up family sharing does that fix the issue? My daughter has always had her own ID that she uses to sign into iMessage and FaceTime. Her device is signed into iTunes and the App Store with my ID. Will using family sharing solve this or is it too late?

It's not that simple. At a minimum, she will have to redownload the music and apps (at no charge). There is a slight possibility that other issues remain. The only way to be SURE is to completely wipe the iPhone and start all over again. I wouldn't do that unless absolutely necessary.

UPDATE: It’s not just sharing AppleIDs that’s causing this!!! Read on...

We had this problem last week with my wife’ phone, merging two contacts together. The two contacts (two of our kids) did share an AppleID. I had just accepted the fact that we need to get the two to get on different IDs. The problem is we have more kids than family sharing allows so we had to double up some kids. I have been running on ios12 since getting my new phone on 9/21. All was well. The two contacts that merged on my wife’s phone were not merging on mine. I can text them individually. Strange that it’s not consistent if sharing IDs is the culprit. Now, I just updated to 12.0.1 this morning and my wife and one of my sons are now merging on my phone. They do NOT and have NOT shared the same AppleID but my phone is now combining them. They have their own, unique IDs! We have always been on family sharing with unique AppleIDs with my wife and this one son. I would accept it if it was my other kids who share an ID. To all the negative commenters on here, this is a bigger problem than sharing AppleIDs. I had to have my wife and son download WhatsApp so I could communicate with them. I can only text the last person that sent me a text. Very frustrating! iMessage is useless now. Apple needs to say something or push out a fix.

If Apple, indeed, does not read these forums, it would probably be best if everyone filled out the feedback form to Apple with this issue. It may be the only way that they will hear about this madness. The link is below. Click away and let them know what's going on! I know this issue has been featured in some articles but it would be nice if the media really did pick up on this.

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

It isn't just iMessage ... When I use Airdrop from my iPhone to Macbook Pro, the alert on my MBP shows it's coming from my wife (or other members of my family) when it's my iphone sending the file. I also noticed that when my iphone "turns into" my wife's phone, Universal Clipboard no longer works. The seemingly random way text messages go (or don't go) to some members of your family seems to be consistent with how AIRDROP and UNIVERSAL CLIPBOARD stops and starts working because your phone turns into someone else in your family's phone. FYI: THE PROBLEM CONTINUES EVEN AFTER YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS GET APPLE IDs. Apple needs to fix this .. at a minimum they should care about the groundswell of disgust coming from a huge portion of their customer base. Apple is becoming the new Microsoft, Comcast, Optimum, etc. -- Hated brands.

https://appleid.apple.com/faq/#!&page=faq

Specifically:

Can I share an Apple ID with someone else?

Your Apple ID should not be shared with anyone else. It provides access to personal information including contacts, photos, device backups, and more. Sharing your Apple ID with someone else means you are giving them access to all your personal content and may lead to confusion over who actually owns the account. To share iTunes & App Store purchases, photos, a calendar, and more with someone else, try Family Sharing, iCloud Photo Sharing, or other easy-to-use sharing features.

nathaliefromwhitehorse wrote:

We have created separate Apple ID and still having this issue. Any idea why?

Yes. When you shared an Apple ID, some "under the hood" items were adversely affected. You need to do this for all affected phones. Then, redownload all music, movies, apps, etc.

The thing is ... once we noticed the problem, the two others who shared my AppleId ... created their own. Still happening. And only on MY phone, not theirs.

Annoying. My work around is: texting myself AND the other person if I need to send a text to whomever was not the last one to send me a text.